Sri Lankan team attack: LHC extends detention of suspect by a month

The suspect remained in govt custody after being granted bail.

LAHORE:

A review board of the Lahore High Court on Friday extended the detention of Zubair alias Nek Muhammad, one of the accused in the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team, for one month.

The three-member board headed by Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh heard arguments of the Home Department and lawyers for Zubair. The order was announced after security personnel had taken the suspect away.

Counsel for the accused said the police did not have any proof of Zubair’s involvement in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. That was why, he said, his client had been granted bail by the subordinate court.

He said his client was being victimised.

The government’s counsel told the court an appeal against the approval of his bail was pending before the LHC.

He said law enforcement agencies had apprehensions about the consequences of Zubair’s release and asked the court to extend his detention for one month. Zubair was arrested in June 2009 for his role in the brazen terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. Investigators said that a local unit of the Taliban had attacked the team.

Six Sri Lankan players including captain Mahela Jayawaredene, his deputy Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas had sustained injuries and six escorting policemen were killed in the attack.

Zubair had been in detention under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) for three months when he was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court.

After the court ordered his release, the government detained him under the MPO. On completion of 90 days in detention, the government took his matter before the review board which has allowed it another 30 days.

On August 2, a judge of the Lahore High Court had refused to hear a the government appeal against the bail granted to him.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2013.